


healing

by fic13th



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: College, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25287379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fic13th/pseuds/fic13th
Summary: after finding out your ex-boyfriend Flash cheated on you, a friendly stranger invites you over to talk.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, they did.

This past summer, you took a summer course to get ahead and graduate early at your college. It wasn’t exactly how you wanted to spend your summer, but it had felt worth it for a while. While you took this class, you met someone nicknamed “Flash.” Of course, you knew his real name, but his nickname was his true trademark.

You dated over the summer, having fun and studying together sometimes for class. You really liked Flash, even though you recognized he had some pretty major personality flaws. People are supposed to grow within relationships, right? You tried to encourage him to improve, and tolerated him being a dick a lot. To no avail, the Flash kept on wasting your time.

Eventually, you decided to sit him down and talk about you two. You weren’t exactly official, nor had you DTR-ed (defined the relationship).

You sat in his dorm room, his dirty clothes scattered everywhere. His room was musty and rather dimly lit, and had a few pizza boxes hidden behind furniture. You hated his room, but you figured talking to him here would be best. 

“Hey, Flash…” you begin, sitting on the only spot of bare floor. “Can we talk?”

He sat on the couch, watching the tv screen. He had a game controller in his hand, and his tongue was stuck out as he concentrated on not losing.

“Flash?” you repeat, watching him anxiously.

He hears you this time but doesn’t pause the game.

“Yeah, what’s up, babe?”

“Could we talk? Like have a serious talk?”

He glanced over at you and paused his game.

“Uhhh totally. What’s up?”

You fidgeted a little with his eyes on you, and began to explain your concerns with his behavior. As you went on to talk about how you wanted to grow as a pair, and keep seeing him, you could see Flash’s face contort. You finished by asking if he wanted to be official with you, or if he wanted to eventually.

“Yeah babe…” he began, sighing and leaning back. “No thanks. You know how it is! I’m a rolling stone… I go with the flow! You’re killing my vibe a bit, so this isn’t gonna work as a real thing. Sorry!”

You sit, a little stunned. He seemed totally unconcerned with you and your feelings, as he un-paused his game and returned to his earlier state. You could feel tears forming in your eyes, and got up quickly, slipping on your backpack and walking to the door.

“Hey!” Flash called out. You turned to look at him, confused. He grinned and made a motion by one ear.

“Call me sometime, babe.”

That had been about a month ago. You hadn’t fully moved on from him, but you knew deep down you deserved better and that someone better would come. It wasn’t so much a hope as it was a motivation, a reason for you to keep going and to improve yourself. How had you even wasted that much time with that loser? He was so pampered he barely knew how to make his own bed, much less wash dishes!

But now, you come upon worse news. News that had you crying outside your school’s library. You sat with your back against the wall and your knees bent, crying into your crossed arms. You had gotten the news about ten minutes ago:

Your phone buzzed with a message from your friend.

_(y/n), you should see this…_

Opening the message, you see a photo attached that looks like a screenshot. In the chat, you see a girl recounting her experience dating Flash this summer, aka the summer you ALSO dated Flash. You had been totally cheated on and blindsided.

Holding back tears, you pack your school supplies and rush out of the library. How could he do this to you? What had you done to deserve this? Were you not worth anyone’s undivided romantic attention?

You felt angry, sad, and betrayed. You collapsed in front of the library and just began to sob, ignoring all the students who walked past you with uncomfortable looks. You just wanted to disappear. You also wanted Flash to disappear, to never see him again on campus. He was such a douche, and you couldn’t believe you’d become so attached to him in a few months.

After maybe ten minutes, you felt tired and sad. You had run out of tears to cry and wiped your eyes with your sleeves. Suddenly, you feel a hand on your shoulder.

You turn to see who is there, and through still-blurry eyes you make out the face of someone you’ve seen before on campus.

“Are you okay?” he said, looking you over.

You shake your head and take a deep breath. Talking after crying so hard now would be a little rough, but you knew you’d live through this.

“Good, good,” he responds. “Uhm, I’m Peter Parker? And I live like, right there.”

He points over his shoulder to a nearby dorm. He remains watching you, but from his tone you can tell he seems nervous and a little uncomfortable. Understandable, as you’re a tear-stained mess presently.

“I’m (y/n) (y/l/n)” you say. “Why are you mentioning your dorm?”

“Oh! I figured you may want to…maybe… talk about it? Only if you’re comfortable of course! I know we’re like complete strangers, but I just figured you wouldn’t want to keep crying outside of the library…”

He seemed nice enough to you, but you also were a little uncomfortable going to a stranger’s room. You appreciated the boy’s kindness though, and felt that even though your circumstance for meeting was rather odd, you wouldn’t mind talking to a stranger about what had happened.

“You know what? Sure, I’ll come over” you say, beginning to pick yourself up. “Lead the way, Peter Parker.”

Peter beamed a little, and you saw the sun sparkle in his eyes. He turned and began to walk beside you towards his dorm.

“Are you…enjoying the weather?” he said, as you two walked across campus together.

“Definitely; I really enjoy the fall because I get to wear my bomb-ass sweaters!”

Peter laughs and moves his hands to his jacket pockets.

“I like the fall too, mostly for candy corn and haunted houses though.”

“You like haunted houses?” you say, surprised. He seemed a little meek to enjoy something so intense and jump-scare heavy.

“Yeah, I do. I scream like a little kid though! I usually scare the people running the haunted house more than they scare me.”

You laugh with him, noticing you two have both arrived at his dorm. He leads you inside, and deftly leads you through numerous halls to reach his room. Unlocking the door, he glances at you.

“Okay,” he begins, “I know my room is messy, but please don’t be mean about it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you say, laughing. “I’ve seen some pretty gnarly rooms.”

Peter nods to himself and opens the door. As you walk in, you realize you can see the floor of his room, and although the recycling bin is full, the rest of him room is orderly and smells of fabric spray. You take in the sight and are almost moved to tears. Compared to Flash’s room, this was the epitome of cleanliness.

Looking back at you, Peter notices immediately when you begin to cry again. He looks around frantically before coming back to you with a box of tissues.

“(y/n)? Are you okay?”

He begins to guide you towards the couch in the corner. You sit down gratefully, and blow your nose. You had cried so much already, but you hadn’t imagined a decently clean room would be enough to set you off at this point.

“Yeah, Peter, I’m fine. I just…haven’t seen a room this clean that wasn’t my own in such a long time! My ex-boyfriend’s room was so disgusting. You couldn’t see the floor, and everything smelled so bad! I hated visiting him in his room.”

“Ohhh” said Peter softly. “Is he the reason you were…?”

You nod.

“Yeah. I just found out today that he had been cheating on me while we were dating. I just don’t get why anyone would? Or how!”

You sniffle.

“I kind of wish you knew him, so that you could talk shit with me about him more,” you laugh. “That’s the best kind of therapy when something like this happens, I think.”

“Well, what’s his name?” Peter had sat besides you on the couch. The tissues sat between you, but Peter leaned on the back of the couch to face you. You were seated normally, looking forward. At this point, too much eye contact could probably make you cry again. You wanted to talk about things, but also didn’t want to disclose too much to a stranger.

“You wouldn’t know him,” you say.

“Tell me so I know I don’t.”

“His name is Eugene Thompson, but everyone calls him ‘Flash’.”

Peter doesn’t respond, and you glance at him. He was still watching you, but now his mouth hung agape and his eyes were wide.

“What?” you say, a little uncomfortable.

“I! It’s just- I went to high school with that guy,” Peter begins. “He’s a total asshole! You’re saying you actually dated him?”

You nodded, a little surprised yourself.

“I can’t believe you know him!”

“I barely know him,” Peter huffed. “He just bullied me constantly in high school. I’m sorry you had to deal with him, too, (y/n).”

“Me too!”

You laugh, but it’s not sincere. You were still hurt, even if Peter could also agree that Flash was an asshole. You liked the solidarity, the anti-Flash sentiment, but you knew you needed something more.

As you thought about the messages, the sweet words Flash had fed you and other women, you could feel another wave of tears coming. You grabbed a tissue and began to sob. It felt better this time, with a friend around. You hadn’t anticipated crying with Peter, but it was better than nothing.

You heard him move, and you felt a hand on your shoulder again. Peter moved closer to your side and began to rub circles into your shoulder. He may not be able to understand the hurt you were feeling, but he could at least be there for you as you dealt with it.

“I’m so sorry, (y/n),” he said. “I know we barely know each other, but I know you deserve better than this. No one deserves this, especially you.”

You sob harder, wiping your eyes with fervor. This is what you had wanted: validation. You didn’t need anything special. You just wanted the confirmation that you weren’t crazy for feeling this way, and that you hadn’t deserved it.

You leaned into Peter’s shoulder, and took a deep, shaky breath. He wrapped his arm around you, and leaned his head onto yours.

“Thanks, Peter.”

“It’s the least I could do, (y/n).”

You feel exhausted, and decide you should go home. You wriggle a little, signaling to Peter you were ready for him to let go of you. He withdraws and looks back at you.

“You good?” he says.

“Yeah. I should go home, I think.”

He nods, and walks you to the door.

You turn to him, setting your backpack by your feet.

“Can I get a hug?” you ask, deciding you two had bonded enough for that much.

“Of course!” he said, smiling. He pulled you towards him, his arms pressing your ribs into him. He smelled like his room, of fresh bedding and dryer sheets. You savored the feeling of comfort that came from him, and you soon felt him withdraw.

Looking up at him, you see for the first time his kind eyes, and the way his face moves as he smiles down at you. You take in the shape of his jaw and the shadows his hair casts over his cheeks. You felt a little jolt of electricity run through you, and smile back at him.

“I guess I’ll see you around, Peter. Thanks again for this.”

“(y/n), you’re welcome here anytime. Come over again soon! Hopefully not when you need to cry.”

You both laugh and as he closes the door behind you, you feel a smile sticking to your face. You had been dumped and hurt so recently, yet you felt like the luckiest girl in the world. What god did you please to have such a cute boy want to console you?

You grinned and began to make your way towards the exit. You wanted to see more of Peter, wanted to get to know him on a more personal level. He was so gentle that you felt you could trust him immediately. Fate had done you a real solid here, and while you knew you had some major healing ahead of you, now you were excited to see what your future would hold.


	2. Chapter 2

It was now three months since you had found out Flash had cheated on you. At this point, you didn’t even care. In the time since meeting Peter, you two had easily become close friends. You talked almost daily through social media and saw each other in person just as much. You two bonded over a shared hatred of Flash, but also found you got along well even without it.

Now you walked across campus as it snowed, your boots maiming the pure white landscape. Snowflakes pricked your skin as you trudged along, and the wind swept coolly around your ears and neck. You could only hear your own footsteps as you walked, admiring the stark black of the bare trees and browns of the campus buildings. They always seemed most vibrant in the winter.

You were walking to Peter’s dorm again, and you had a big thermos of hot chocolate in your backpack. Peter had been struggling with a cold the past week, and since you didn’t have any tea right now, you figured it’d be a good alternative. As you walked up to the building you texted him, his figure soon appearing through the entrance doors.

“Hey,” he said, smiling. He held the door open for you, and you quickly stepped into the warmth of the building.

“Hey! How are you feeling?”

“Ah, I’m doing fine. Just a little stuffy and my throats a little sore yet.” He began walking back to his room, and you followed him, your body on autopilot.

His room was a little more unkempt than normal, but it was still clean for a guy’s room. (Spotless compared to Flash’s!) The garbage can was overflowing with tissues, and you saw two empty bottles of Nyquil sitting in the recycling.

“Oh, so the worst of it’s over?” you inquire.

“Yeah! At least, I hope so. I don’t know if I can keep up this fluid intake.”

You both laugh, and you strip out of your jacket and boots. You were wearing warm, fuzzy socks underneath, insulation for your feet. Pulling out the thermos from your backpack, you go to sit on Peter’s bed, and start unscrewing the cap. The air in his room felt cool after taking off you layers, and you wanted to warm up with a drink.

“(y/n), what’s in the thermos?” Peter inquired, pulling a blanket off his futon and coming to sit on his bed next to you.

“Hot chocolate! Thought you’d like something hot to drink.”

“I would love something hot to drink. You can read me like a book!”

You laugh, pouring the thick, sweet-smelling drink into the lid-cup.

“You’re right, I feel like we’ve known each other so long now. And what, it’s been like three months now? That’s not that long!”

“It’s almost an entire semester,” scoffed Peter, “in terms of being in college, that’s roughly an eighth of your time here.” You handed him the cup, and he took it gently in his hands. Sipping from it, he watched you as you took the blanket he brought over and arranged it methodically around Peter’s shoulders, then your own.

“It’s cold in your room, Peter. How do you manage living in here?”

“I’m just usually warm, so I guess it works for me. Are you cold?”

You nod and reach for Peter’s cup. He hands it to you carefully, not wanting to spill. You are grateful for the heat radiating through the cup as you take it from him, your hands momentarily cupping Peter’s as you trade. You take a sip and hum a little as you feel the heat travel down your throat.

“Only a little. I’ll tell you when I’m shivering.”

You hand the cup back to Peter, and you both continue this pattern until the cups empty. You gesture at your thermos, and he nods, so you grab it to refill.

“Has it really been only three months?” Peter says, breaking the comfortable silence.

“That we’ve known each other? About that much, yeah. It was about mid-September when you found me.”

You didn’t enjoy thinking back to when you and Peter had really met, when you had broken down sobbing in public. This boy was so sweet as to invite a stranger over to comfort them and talk, and although you really just cried and talked shit a little, it made all the difference. You had done a lot of moving on since then, and thinking about Flash didn’t sting as much as it used to. Seeing him on campus didn’t make your heart lurch like it used to. Peter had given you such nice support in that moment of weakness, and you valued him so much for it. He had become one of your closest friends on campus, and at this point it felt like you’d known him forever.

“Do you think you’ve moved on since then?”

You handed Peter the newly-filled cup. You thought for a moment as he sipped.

“I think I have. Thinking of him isn’t so hard anymore… It’s like it went from an open wound to a bruise, maybe. Not a bad one, either. Like one you don’t remember where it came from or something. But yes, I have moved on since then.”

Peter nods and hands the cup to you. You reach out to take it again, your hand brushing Peter’s again.

This time, you hear him breathe in sharply as your hands touch. You glance up at him, but he’s still watching the cup, his face slightly flushed. Had he looked like that when you saw him, or did it just happen? Was it from him being sick still? Were your hands just super cold? You don’t dwell on it.

“That’s good to hear,” Peter murmurs. “Whenever I see him on campus I need to keep myself from trying to kick his ass.”

You laugh, grateful Peter still had your back.

“Thanks, Pete…”

You hold the cup in your hands and close your eyes, savoring the warmth. You were kind of sick of the hot chocolate by now, and just wanted the heat from it.

“Thank you, too, (y/n). You’ve been so good to me since we met. I’m grateful you’re a part of my life.”

You look over at your friend, and he looks relaxed, his head propped up on one hand. His eyes surveyed you, eventually resting on your eyes. At the sudden eye contact, you see his eyes widen for a second, and watch as his complexion reddens again.

You pass the cup to him again, smiling warmly.

“That’s so sweet of you to say, Peter, thank you! I’m glad I get to have you in my life, too.”

You pause and look over his face again.

“Are you feverish though? You look a little warm.”

“Oh!” he exclaims. “No, I feel fine.” He takes a long swig from the cup, effectively emptying it.

“Do you want more?” you ask. He shakes his head, so you take the empty cup and screw it back onto the thermos.

“Are you still cold?” he asks. He’s not looking at you when he says it, instead choosing to peruse a corner of the room.

“Yeah, a bit. The hot chocolate was nice and warm, but it’s too sweet after a while. Helped warm up my hands though!”

“Do you want to…cuddle? To warm up?”

You’re taken aback by the comment, as this isn’t something you and Peter had done before. Was this something friends could do? Were you and Peter just friends at this point? But you were cold…

He’s still staring at the corner when you answer, and as you do his eyes seem to light up, and his excitement is obvious.

“Sure, Peter. Want to throw on Netflix or something?”

“God, yes!” he says, nearly leaping up to grab his laptop. “Is the futon okay?”

You nod and wrap the part of the blanket Peter abandoned around your shoulders. You settle on the futon by Peter, his fingers scrambling to open a rerun of America’s Funniest Home Videos.

“Easy tiger,” you laugh. “I’m not about to run away.”

You hear him laugh nervously, noticing as his ears turn red. He eventually opens an old episode from the 2000’s, and leans back into the futon, eyeing you nervously.

“Peter? Are you actually okay with this or were you joking?”

“Oh! Yeah, I’m totally cool with this, don’t even worry about it (y/n)!”

While his reactions scream he’s nervous, you still can’t place why. You were comfortable around Peter, and you trusted him. Maybe he hadn’t cuddled anyone before...?

“Then come here, Parker.” You turn towards him, folding your legs to your left. Opening your arms towards him, you see his face light up again.

Instead of panicking, though, he scoots towards you, sliding one arm between your shoulder and the blanket, wrapping his arm around you. You smile to yourself, and move one arm behind his back, hugging him to you from the side. Your head rested nicely on his chest, and you could smell his deodorant. It was a smell that defined Peter to you, so you enjoyed its presence.

You could hear his heart pounding against his chest, and the heat radiating from him warmed you to your core. You could get used to this…

“Why are you so nervous?” you ask. A clip of a child with their head stuck in a cereal box plays on screen.

“What are you talking about?”

“Peter, I can hear your heartbeat. If a normal heartrate is like a trot, this is an absolute gallop.” 

“What? Are you talking about horses?”

“No! Your heart is just beating really fast. Did you do a double dose of cold meds or something?”

“(y/n), everything’s fine. Great, even! Nothing’s wrong.”

You move your head to look up at him. His face was slightly flushed, his eyes trained on the computer screen. Feeling you move, he turns to look at you, meeting your eyes.

“Are you sure?”

He raises his eyebrows, noticing how close you are. Was this actually too much for him to handle? Should you have said no, and just asked for another blanket?

“Peter?”

He draws a shaky breath.

“Y-yeah?”

“Are you absolutely sure you’re comfortable with this?”

He watches you, seeming to relax a bit. Deep down he knew you were just checking to make sure you were okay, but it just felt to him like you were trying to make him explain himself. He wasn’t sure if you were ready for that yet. Neither was he.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m maybe not totally over this cold yet.”

You hum in response, moving your head back to its original position.

“I’ll take your word for it. Tell me if you need a break from being my human space heater. Space Peter? Never mind, that pun may need some work.”

You both laugh, the old clips from the AFV running ceaselessly on screen. You watch them roll, laughing at the odd one that felt new to you. Peter watched you fondly, knowing deep down he never would ask for a break from being so close to you. There was no place in the world he would rather be than right here with you. Feeling your arms around him felt like heaven, and he was so quickly becoming addicted. To himself, he made a promise. Before the year was over, he would explain himself and his feelings.

You were too good for him to pass up, and he was too in love to wait much longer.


End file.
